STRATEGIC PLAN

CLARKSON UNIVERSITY
DEPARTMENT OF ATHLETICS
BENCHMARKS FOR THE STRATEGIC PLAN
Presented by Sean T. Frazier,
Director of Athletics and Recreation
September 2002
(Updated May 2005)

View Strategic Plan in pdf format

A true strategic plan presents a series of goals and objectives. The following are some benchmarks that will be used to measure whether these goals and objectives are successfully realized. As I stated in my “prospectus” to the search committee upon my arrival, this plan will be effected over the next three to five years and have ten areas of athletic department enhancement: 1. Academic Achievement; 2. NCAA & Title IX Compliance; 3. School Spirit/Campus Involvement; 4. Athletic Competition; 5. Facility Development/Capital Projects; 6. Budget/Resource Management; 7. Community & Alumni Outreach; 8. Department Staff/Student Equity; 9. Fundraising & Revenue Generation; 10. Recreation & Wellness/Fitness.

These benchmarks may be altered to some degree over time, but will be reviewed annually by the Athletic Department and University Administration. At present, some of the described program projections are best estimates and in a number of instances, no dollar amounts are included. Although these goals and objectives are ambitious, I do realize that to reach some of these benchmarks will require additional resources.

I. ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT

To build on our academic niche by increasing individual sport teams grade point average by fifteen percent (“15%”).
To consistently rank in the top ten in overall academic performance within our conferences.
To consistently rank in the top ten in the nation for overall academic performance.
To establish a departmental academic monitoring system. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To increase communication between faculty and staff pertaining to all academic support issues. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish increased awareness and communication with the Faculty Athletic Representative (FAR). (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish an academic achievement awards program for student-athletes who achieve a grade point average of 3.0 or greater.
To establish academic priority by maintaining an overall departmental G.P.A greater than our University general student population. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)

II. NCAA & TITLE IX COMPLIANCE

To establish an NCAA rules education program.
To have zero NCAA primary and secondary infractions. (ON-GOING 02’-03’, 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish a Title IX awareness committee.
To establish an NCAA rules check program. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To be in complete compliance with Title IX on the resource management, as well as in direct proportionality.
To institute a survey program for the general student population on sport offerings for female student athletes.
To develop a departmental policy and procedure manual. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish a student athlete orientation program. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish a NCAA Life Skills Program.
To establish a NCAA Division I Women’s Ice Hockey Program. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish a NCAA Division I scholarship review committee. (COMPLETED 03’-04’)

III. SCHOOL SPIRIT/CAMPUS INVOLVEMENT

To enact a school spirit campus involvement marketing program. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish a “home coming”/”pep rally” event to promote school spirit. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’)
To create a student committee on school spirit.
To increase communication with student affairs staff and campus community regarding athletics. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To institute a “guest coaching” program with faculty, students, and staff.

IV. ATHLETIC COMPETITION

To increase men’s and women’s sport teams win percentage by twenty percent (“20%”).
To upgrade out-of-conference competition. (COMPLETED 04’-05’)
To establish a non-traditional season protocol. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish individual recruiting plans with measurable goals by sport. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To increase overall recruitment efforts for student athletes for all sports. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To be in the top three (3) overall athletic departments for win percentage within our league affiliations.
To be in the top ten (10) overall athletic departments for win percentage in the nation.

V. FACILITY DEVELOPMENT/CAPITAL PROJECTS

To upgrade all existing sport/recreation facilities.
To establish a turf/artificial field.
To completely renovate the Walker Center for a fully functional indoors facility.
To establish grass field maintenance programs to effectively service men’s and women’s soccer and lacrosse fields.
To completely renovate the baseball field and seating facility.
To increase seating within Cheel Arena.
To incorporate “sky boxes” within Cheel Arena.
To update and refurbish alumni gym floor and seating. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish a locker room facility for the women’s ice hockey team within Cheel Arena. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)

VI. BUDGET/RESOURCE MANAGEMENT

To support campus wide “People-Soft” computer management system. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish fiscal control and department budget system. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To create checks and balances for coaches and departmental administration. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish a zero based balance system.
To have zero over-budget authorization.
To create an annual budget proposal system for departmental staff. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To increase communication around budgetary and resource management issues for departmental staff. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To increase communication between all departmental cost center managers and University administration. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)

VII. COMMUNITY & ALUMNI OUTREACH

To institute a sport team community service project program. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To increase visibility for sport teams and departmental staff within the local community. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To institute a departmental newsletter on the web page, as well as a direct mailing system. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To increase visibility at all University alumni functions.(ON-GOING/COMPLETED 04’-05’)
To institute a summer camp program I.E. (“Clarkson Sports Academy”). (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’)
To increase former athletic alumni communication via organized events (i.e. golf outings, lettermen awards, hall of fame induction). (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To assist in the formation and operation of an Alumni Athletic Council

VIII. DEPARTMENT STAFF/STUDENT EQUITY

To increase diversity amongst all departmental staff and students.
To establish and support the Senior Women’s Administrator (“SWA”) responsibilities. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To oversee and communicate the results of the annual Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act (“EADA”) report to the campus community.
To aid and support the Student Athlete Advisory Committee (“SAAC”). (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To create and monitor departmental organizational structure. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To develop a senior administrative team. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To further develop event management protocols. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish a student-athlete evaluation form/program to evaluate student quality of experience within department. (COMPLETED 04’-05’)

IX. FUNDRAISING & REVENUE GENERATION

To develop corporate sponsorships. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish a fundraising “Green and Gold Athletic Club”. (COMPLETED 04’-05’)
To establish branding and trademark merchandise program. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish University brand identity program. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish radio royalty agreement. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish local and national television agreement. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’)
To support institutional advancement development efforts.(ON-GOING/ COMPLETED 04’-05’)
To assist in the creation of an athletic annual fund.
To create an athletic signage inventory (i.e. facility, rink, and e-commerce). (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish sport team fundraising protocol. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To establish website sales program (i.e. online auction, merchandise sales). (COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To establish facility rental rates. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To develop a productive external affairs team
To establish a department specific fundraising position. (COMPLETED 04’-05’)

X. RECREATION & WELLNESS/FITNESS

To establish intramural/recreation staffing team. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To create ongoing list of recreation and health & fitness offerings. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To increase communication with students, faculty and staff on wellness and fitness issues. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 02’-03’,03’-04’,04’-05’)
To add a certified strength and conditioning staff member in the fitness center.
To establish a monitoring strength and conditioning program for all Intercollegiate Athletic (“I.C.A.”) sport teams.
To establish recreation website as a form of communication for the campus community. (COMPLETED 02’-03’)
To refurbish existing equipment in both fitness center and Cheel Arena exercise facilities. (ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)
To institute a satisfaction survey program for all recreation and wellness & fitness programs.(ON-GOING/COMPLETED 03’-04’,04’-05’)